The 2016 Major League Baseball season is winding down, and it is poised for a wild last month. The Chicago Cubs have been the story all around the league since spring training began six months ago, and they have not disappointed. With a record of 82-45, the Cubs have far and away the best record in the major league.

Led by a young core and experienced veterans, the team has been dominant in every aspect of the game. Corner infielders Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are both competing at a Most Valuable Player-caliber talent, and pitchers Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester have both continued to pitch at an elite level. The Cubs are all in on trying to capture their first World Series title since 1908, as evidenced by the big time moves they have made in the past months. 

The biggest acquisition of the month came in the form of closer Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees, who shored up the only question mark the club had, in their bullpen. Along with a fastball that regularly tops 100 miles per hour, Chapman will need to be the shutdown closer he has the potential to be if the Cubs are to finally break through and seize the elusive prize that has taunted their fans for over a century. 

The road to the championship will not be easy for the youngsters from Chicago, as there are a handful of teams in the league with enough talent to spoil a Windy City parade. In addition to the NL 2015 MVP in outfielder Bryce Harper, the Washington Nationals went ahead and bolstered their offense in the offseason by signing second baseman Daniel Murphy. Murphy has exceeded all expectations by leading the league in batting average at a clip of .346. The club also has one of the top 1-2 pitching combinations in the league in Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. 

Also impressive all season long in the NL have been the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers, currently in first place ahead of the Giants in the West, have been extremely impressive by continuing to succeed without their top player, ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw. The Giants have won three of the last six World Series titles, and once again have a squad talented enough to continue the dominant dynasty. 

The American League as well has a few clubs making some noise. The top team in the league has been the Texas Rangers, who have managed to maintain consistently even through turmoil such as the sudden retirement of star first baseman Prince Fielder. With a balanced lineup and solid pitching staff led by Yu Darvish, Texas looks like a team the rest of the AL teams will actively avoid. 

In continuing with the success of their hometown basketball squad, the Cleveland Indians have been in first throughout the season in the AL Central. Second-year shortstop Francisco Lindor leads the team in most hitting categories as well as contributing highlight plays on defense. The Indians also strove to improve their bullpen at the trade deadline and did so by acquiring top relief pitcher Andrew Miller from the Yankees. 

Dealing Miller and Chapman, as well as outfielder Carlos Beltran, led to the Yankees becoming sellers at the deadline for the first time in decades. While they have put together a respectable record since the deals, they are out of the AL East chase. Leading those efforts has been the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox who have been neck-and-neck all season long. Both clubs have made efforts to win now, and a division crown is now within reach for either. This battle will be one of many that fans can look forward to as the season closes.